E-zine #1: How To Get Quad Sweep

Today we're going to cover a leg routine that will unlock your growth potential. We'll emphasize the elusive outer quad sweep that gives your legs flair and makes your hips and waist look smaller. It'll give you eye-catching shape. At the end of this routine, we'll summarize the key movements, so you can print it out and take it with you to the gym.

It's leg day and first on your agenda is 20 rep breathing squats. This is the absolute key to the entire program, the "holy grail of muscular growth" and will unlock your growth mechanism like no other movement.

For performance you have to psych yourself because done properly it's brutal. Here's how it's done. Take a wide stance, toes pointed out, heels slightly elevated. Emphasize pushing with the heels. After 1 to 3 warm-up sets – pick your max weight for ten reps. That means you fail on the 10th rep, slow 5 seconds on the down, blast up but don't lock-out, stop just short of full lock-out. When you fail (or as close as possible) with an all-out putting-your-heart-and-soul-into-it effort at 10, you're just getting started, here is where you decide if you've got what it takes.

At this point challenge yourself, now you can lock-out, take three to five deep diaphragmatic breaths and do one more rep. 5 seconds down, then blast up to full lock-out, 11th rep complete. Dig deep within and fire-up your enthusiasm three to five deep breaths, go for 12. 5 seconds down and blast up. Yes, 12 complete. You're about to step into the "twilight zone" beyond which 99% of all the panty wastes that enter the gym will ever go. They haven't got a clue and couldn't buy one with a gazillion bucks. Here we go: take three to five breaths and go for 13. Dig deep inside and make a decision that reflects that you're a winner. Accept the challenge. 5 seconds down then up 13 reps complete. You're cut from a different mold, ignore the pain and grind out another blood-curdling rep. 14. Complete just 6 more to go one at a time. Dig in 5 seconds down and blast up 15 complete. Keep going all the way to 19. Making each rep a bigger challenge both mentally and physically, each rep a bigger accomplishment.

Then with all-out determination, against-all-odds, squeeze out one more seemingly impossible rep because you got 275 for 20 last week and today you absolutely had to get 280 for 20 as if your life depended on it, or else go home a quitter' and you're not a quitter, you're a winner and you just proved it, etched it in granite, marked it in the history books for all the world to see, more importantly for you to see.

Remember this moment forever because you just unlocked the key and you will never, ever be the same. Anchor your success into your nervous system by squeezing your right fist or snapping fingers. Remember everything about this moment. But you're not done yet.

Collapse and rest for 5 minutes and have a barf pail close by. Each week add a rep or two or add five or even ten pounds to the bar.

Okay, let's move on to the next exercise' leg presses. Take the same foot position, and again emphasize pushing with the heels. Do two to three warm up sets of 8 to10 reps. Now let's get to work, pick a weight that allows 5 to 6 reps till failure. Emphasize 5 seconds down, then blast up. Go for an all-out effort. Come on, challenge yourself, you can do it. When you absolutely can't do another rep, rack it but you're not done, in fact you're just getting started. Take ten to fifteen deep breaths, unrack the weight and go for 2 balls-out reps. Rack it.

Once again, you're still not done. Take ten to fifteen more deep breaths and go for 1 more grizzly rep. Set complete, leg presses done.

Let's move on to hack squats. Same foot position, same 5 seconds down, and blast up, don't lock-out. Do one warm-up set to get the feel of the movement and set up the neurological pathway. After your warm-up set drop down to the low position of a sissy squat and stretch the quads for 20 to 30 seconds. Working set: pick a weight that allows you to get about 6 to 8 rep non-lock-out reps to failure. Really grind it out, go all the way until you're cooked. Rack it. Take 10 to 15 deep breaths and go for two more gut-wrenching reps. Rack it again. Take 10 to 15 more breaths and go for one more killer rep. Rack it. Drop down to the low position of a sissy squat and stretch the quads for 20 to 30 seconds. Quads done.

You should feel like you've just gotten hit with a Mack truck and in a few weeks your quads will start looking like you're wearing a pair of German marching pants. But hold on, we still have hamstrings to hit.

Let's hobble over to the leg curl machine. Do two warm-ups. Blast up, five seconds down 8 to 12 reps. Now take a weight that allows you to eke out 8 reps before you fail. Take ten to fifteen deep breaths and go for two more reps. Take ten to fifteen more deeps breaths and go for one more nasty rep. Legs curls done.

Okay, now it's on to stiff-legged deadlifts. No rest pause reps here just keep the back slightly arched and throw your butt back to emphasize the hamstrings and do two all-out sets of 12 to 20 reps.

You won't see many people today training this hard. Just you and a couple of other monsters. And you only did three all out sets for quads and three for hamstrings.

In the next issue we'll cover size tips for stubborn calves.

Here are a few more tips:

Eat six meals a day and never ever miss — three meals and three protein drinks. Some very big guys are ingesting 300-500 grams of protein a day and making huge gains in size and strength. Try it for 12 to 16 weeks and see what happens.

Never train a body part more than once every 6 to 8 days

Train four days a week:

Day 1 shoulders, triceps
Day 2 Back, calves
Day 3 rest
Day 4 chest, biceps
Day 5 rest
Day 6 legs
Day 7 rest
Day 8 repeat day one only if you feel rested if not, rest one or two more days.

Quad Mass Blast Summary
20-rep breathing squats
1-3 warmup sets x 8-10
1 x 20 (using your 10-rep-max weight)
10 nonlock reps followed by
10 lockout reps'take five deep breaths at each rest/pause lockout
5-minute rest

Leg presses
2-3 warmup sets x 8-10
1 x 5-6 (to muscular failure), then rack it
10-15 deep breaths, then 1 x 2; rack it
10-15 deep breaths, then 1 x 1

Hack squats
1 warmup set x 8-10 plus
30-second hold with no weight in sissy squat stretch
1 x 6-8 nonlock reps, then rack it
10-15 deep breaths then 1 x 2; rack it
10-15 deep breaths, then 1 x 1; rack it, then go to
30-second hold with no weight in sissy squat stretch

Leg curls
2 warmup sets x 8-10
1 x 8 (to muscular failure)
10-15 deep breaths, then 1 x 2

10-15 deep breaths, then 1 x 1
Stiff-legged deadlifts
2 x 12-20

From the IRONMAN Training & Research Team
www.ironmanmagazine.com

The ITRC Training Newsletter is not intended as training advice for everyone. You must consult your physician before beginning any diet or training program. You may forward this email to as many friends as you want, but do not photocopy or reprint this report in any format without the written permission of the copyright holder.

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